Re: Is Playstation Network really free for everyone?

Also, don't forget that the purchsae price of new video games accounts for the support and fundings for any online services. When you buy new, you aren't paying any money to support the online servers and services. Therefore, as far as I'm concerned, if you have issues with a game that you purchased used the only place you have a right to file complaints is with the company that sold the used game to you since they are the only ones who earned money off of that particular sale.

The online services were funded by the first guy who bought the game. That money doesn't vanish when the first owner sells the game. It's still in the hands of the developer. First owner simply decided the game wasn't worth keeping. Second owner decided a new retail game wasn't worth the extra cash. He's still using the online services paid for by the first guy. That's why the Online Pass argument to keep the servers up doesn't resonate with me one bit.

Most developers aren't providing us dedicated servers anymore too. There's been a huge push towards peer-to-peer and utilizing the users' bandwidth. All the developers have to do is keep the matchmaking server up.

Games cost nearly $70, or more, when you include sales tax. We didn't have an internet to do research on the game beforehand so every purchase was a risk. Games today cost around $55 or so when you include sales tax, and games include online services, far more features than the old games, etc. etc.

Games also used to come on expensive Nintendo seal of approval cartridges that sometimes packed in custom acceleration hardware, and that price was passed onto the consumer. Games used to come in cool boxes and packed detailed manuals and art too. Overall, I do agree we're getting more for our money graphics and online gameplay-wise though.

@ctfw529 Unfortunately, the only time I notice big discounts is when a game fails to meet sales expectations, or reaches Greatest Hits. I've paid full price for Brutal Legend and watched it plummet like a rock. I enjoyed it though. I don't like Gamestop's business practices, but I've thought about standing outside and offering people better values for their trade-ins. That way they have more money to support another developer by buying new, and I get a game I want for cheaper.

Re: Is Playstation Network really free for everyone?

"The online services were funded by the first guy who bought the game. That money doesn't vanish when the first owner sells the game. It's still in the hands of the developer. First owner simply decided the game wasn't worth keeping. Second owner decided a new retail game wasn't worth the extra cash. He's still using the online services paid for by the first guy. That's why the Online Pass argument to keep the servers up doesn't resonate with me one bit.

Most developers aren't providing us dedicated servers anymore too. There's been a huge push towards peer-to-peer and utilizing the users' bandwidth. All the developers have to do is keep the matchmaking server up."

Thanks Potato.

Also the trade in generates new purchases. How many times have any of you gotten a decent trade in amount and turned around and spent it on the spot ? Either grabbing a PSN card or adding towards an existing pre order... Ya wanna make money of the same disc twice, ya keep it intresting. Good games/devs never die. Look at Rockstar, with RDR. TONS of dlc. A lot of it free. The priced content, well priced and very much worth it's cost. The game's been out forever and immensely popular to this date. No online pass !

All online passes are is two companies playing tug of war over the consumers wallet.

Re: Is Playstation Network really free for everyone?

It's not just about that, so like you say, one person bought a game new, but later traded it in, so a second person comes along, and decides they want that game, but instead of buying the game new, they say they will just go used. So they buy a game used, now the game developers gets no money from the second purchase. So to make up for this lose in money, they decided to add a online pass to the game, that way they will get some money back on their game instead of 0.

sure the second owner may no buy new, but the point is both people bought a game, only one of the games gave money to the developer. it's not just about online mode, the whole game in general. The online pass may unlock online features, but the developers want to gain a profit on their games. The problem still lies with used game sales gives $0 to the developer.

If stores who sell used games would give a certain percentage of used game sales to the developer, the online pass would not exist.

Re: Is Playstation Network really free for everyone?

If the companies (like Gamestop) who sold used games for a profit did not exist then only sites such as Ebay, peer to peer trades and sales, and yard sales would be the only way of getting a used game. The pubs/devs would not be making any profit off of those second and third hand sales anyway. It's only because companies such as Gamestop are making a killing off an industry that the pubs/devs never had a hand in anyway that makes them want to start dipping in. I say, if Gamestop and the others were'nt around then the pubs/devs would only have a smaller fan base and higher risk of games being rejected by popularity. I'm afraid that I must agree with Blasphemous1. It's mere tug-o-war.

Frankly, I think the pubs/devs should be asking the general gaming community what WE think of their game ideas and future ventures as insurance if nothing else.

Re: Is Playstation Network really free for everyone?

Evidently not. Even though it clearly says so on thier PSN link:http://us.playstation.com/psn/ " Network is full of exclusives like new games, add-ons, and video, and best of all, its free.'At leat it used to be.I went and purchased a used game at gamestop called Ratchet& Clank all 4 One and went to play it online and couldn't. I had to buy an Online Pass for $10 . So how is it free to play online for everyone? Plastation , this is your exclusive game.You mean if I was to purchase it new than I would be able to play online for free? And,if I dont have the money to shell out $60 for a new game to play online then I have to pay $10 extra because I bought it used? I don't understand? I feel your discriminating against people who chosen to buy the game used? I'm not a lawyer but mabe I should get one. Please explain it to me because I got ripped off both ways. First from gamestop, who didnt even warn me about not getting it if you want to go online to PSN who basically charged it customers TWICE for the same product and service?